Metro News & Reviews

Video: CC to SaMo on the Expo Line

Enjoy the ride! Of course, you will be able to ride the new Expo extension beginning Friday, May 20, when the seven new stations open at noon.

Free rides will be offered on the entire Expo Line from noon until closing time on the 20th and from opening until closing on Saturday the 21st. There will also be parties at several of the new stations. All the info you need is here.

The Expo Line extension was funded largely by Measure R, the half-cent sales tax increase approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2008.

Great! I just love these RFW (Railfan Front Window) videos. Too bad it was sped up. I personally prefer those shot in real time.

FYI — I have downloaded several excellent YouTube RFW videos of the New York subways, and Metra (Chicago) and and Caltrain (San Francisco) commuter railroads. There is even one for the entire Gold Line from the Azusa APU to Union Station.

One of the fun things I remember about riding Caltrain many years ago as a teenager was that I could look out the center door window of the cab car as the train was being pushed forward in the northbound direction. It’s probably the same view as some of the YouTube videos.

Anna: Has Metro announced departure times for the first trains to carry passengers to and from Santa Monica? I would assume that the first train from Santa Monica will depart at 12 noon (or 12:06 PM, if it departs according to the new schedule), but there’s no mention of the departure time for the first train from 7th/Metro. I don’t see that info in the “All the info you need” link.

The extension is expected to open at noon, but that depends on the VIP opening ceremony ending on time. Trains are scheduled to run every 12 minutes on the extension on Friday, but I can’t confirm they will keep to posted timetable.

From what I’ve read, Expo Phase 2 includes a new rail yard near the 26th Street/Bergamot station in Santa Monica, which includes parking for 48 rail cars. That’s plenty of space to serve Expo trains for the foreseeable future.

Should be interesting since these trains will be going to the Bergamot yard soon.. With them going to the Del Amo yard, I was able to catch trains pretty late at night. I’ve caught trains(Blue Line) at 7th / Metro Center going south at ~1:30am weeknights! I don’t count on them, but it’s nice to find one at that time! I’m not in that situation too often, but sometimes after a bike ride, it can happen. I really don’t count on anything past 1am on the weeknights.